Safety razor



Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED -sTATEs PATENT OFFICE RALPH E. THOHPSON,OF .BBOOKLINIL ISVSCHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GILLETTE SAFETY BAZOB COMPANY,OF BOSTON, MASACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF DELA- SETY RAZOB Applicationfiled November 15, 1930. Serial No. 496,024.

This invention relates to Safety razors and more particularly towrappings for safety razor blades and a composite blade formed o with awrapping.

In one aspect it comprises a blade having a novel wrapping a portion ofwhlch may be removed to expose the Cutting edge only while the body oftheblade remains covered and thus protects as completely as in itsoriginal packing.

An object of the invention is to provide a wrapper for a safety razorblade which does not need to be removed before the blade is inserted inthe razor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrapper for a two edgedblade, the

portions of the wrapper adjacent each edge) being separately relnovable.

The wrappers now employed for Safety razor blades are such that theyhave to be entirely removed before the blade is inserted in its holder.`One of the disadvantages of such a wrapper is that the sharpened edgesof the blade may be easily damaged before A, or while it is beingmounted in the razor by being brought into contact with or drawn acrossa part of the holder. Another o b]eetion is that the wrapper is hard toremove.

According to this invention a Wrapper for a safety razor blade isprovided which does not need to be completely removed in preparing theblade, for shaving. The portion of the wrapper adjacent each sharpenededge of the blade is perforated and provided with a tab which, whenpulled, removes the portion of the wrapper adjacent to and covering thesharpened edge of the blade. The remaining portion of the wrapper beingof waxed or other suitable form of waterproof paper does not need to beremoved from the blade. The wrapper remaining on the bo'cly of the bladeand thus prevent/s both the blade and its holder from rusting since buta small portion of the blade is wet during the shaving operation.Furthermore, with a two edged blade, after the blade is inserted in itsholder, one edge is exposed by pulling ofl its associated tab, the otheredge remaining enclosed until it is desired to use it. With thisarrangement, the used edge is identified and the remaining edge isprotected from being dulled or damaged in handling.

Such a wrapper moreover has the further advantage that it may be moreeasily and con- `veniently removed from the Cutting edge to expose thelatter than wrappers heretofore employed.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of preferred embodimentsthereof selected for purposes of illustrat-ion and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 .is a plan view of a single edgedblade for which it is desired to provide a wrapper, according` to thisinvention;

Fig.' 2 is a similar view of a wrapper. according to this invention.around a blade similar to that shown by Fig. 1;

' Fig. 3 is an end view showing the wrapper in position upon the lade ofF ig. 2 with the blade exposing tab removed;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a double edged razor blade for which a wrapperis provided, according to this invention:

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a wrapper for a blade similar to Fig.-. and

F ig. 6 is an end view of the Wrapped blade shown by F ig. 5 with thetwo edges of the razor exposed. t

Referring now to 1, the safety razor blade there shown is of the singleedged type twhichs supported in its holder by projections extending intothe recesses 7 of the blade. The wrapper 8, shown by Fig. 2, is placedover the blade, shown by F ig. 1, and is perforated as indicated by thedotted lines 9 adjacent and arallel to the sharpened edge of the blade.e tab-10 is joined to or forms a. portion of the perforated portion ofthe wrapper. When it is desired to use a blade wrapped, as illustrated,the wrapped blade is inserted into the holder, the thickness of thewrapper around the portions lof the blade adapted to be clamped or heldby the holder being insuflicient to afi'ect the positioning of the bladein the holder. The wrapped blade is thus inserted in the holder withoutdanger from or tothe sharpened edge. After the blade is mounted, the tab10 is pulled and the perforated portion removed complete around thecutting edge of the blade. Thef wrapper 8 may be of t-hin waxed paperand may be made to adhere tightly to the blade by the use of aprotective coating of grease for the blade. When such a protectivecoating of .grease is employed, the portion of the wrapper not removedadheres closely to the surface of the blade. Fig. 3 illustrates theblade with the perforated portion of the wrapper 8 removed showing thecutting edge of the blade exposed.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate the present invention applied to a twotedged blade of the Gillette type. The wrapper 11, shown by Fig. 5,encloses the type of blade shown by Fig. 4 and has its portions adjacentand parallel to the two cutting edges of the blade, perforated asindicated by the dotted lines 12 and 13. The two perforated portions ofthe wrapper 11 have attached thereto or made a part thereof, the twotabs 14 and 15, each of which, when removed, exposes its respectivecutting edge. The blade shown by Fig.

- 4 and shown wrapped by Fig. 5 is located in its holder` by means ofthe central slot 16 which extends over a central rib on the cap memberof the holder.

The wrapped blade is mounted in the holder without removing the wrapper.The portion of the wrapper covering the central slot of the blade ispressed out by the rib of the cap member, the thiclrness of theremainder of the wrapper being insuflicient to afl'e'ct the positioningof the blade in its holder. After the blade is mounted and clamped forshaving, one of the tabs, say for example tab 15, is pulled to removethe perforated porvtion of the wrapper 11, completely around one' of thecutting edges of the blade. The perforatedv portion protecting the otheredge of the blade need not be removed until the exposed cutting edge istoo'dull for further use. Fig. 6 illustrates a blade with the' twocutting edges exposed, the wrapper remaining on the blade" in thecentral body portion.. As previously explained in connection with Figs.1, 2, and 3, the wrapper 11 is waterproofed and may be made to adhere soclosely to the surface of the blade that no moisture can get between theblade and the surface of the razor. The wrapper may be made moistureproof by being waxed, oiled, etc., and by reinaining on the body of therazor protects not only the blade from rusting but also the portion ofthe holder in contact with the blade. .X

Whereas one or more embodiments of the invention have been described forthe purpose of illustration, it should, be understood that the inventionis not limited to the exact details described, as many departures may bemade by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

What is elaimed `is:

asa-1,758

1. A composite blade for a safety razor, including an envelope enclosingthe body of the blade andadhesively attached thereto, and having aperforated edge portion which may be removed to expose the cutting edgeof the blade independently of the remainder of the envelope.

2. A composite blade for a safety razor,

including an envelope enclosing the body of the blade, adhesivelyattached thereto at least on 'one side, and having a perforated edgeportion extending beyond the cutting edge of the blade which may beremoved independently of the remainder of the envelope.

3. A composite blade for a Safety razor,

including an envelope folded over the body of the blade andattachedthereto, and having a perforated edge portion enclosing the cutting edgeand provided with a projecting tab.

4. A composite blade for asafety razor,

including an envelope fitted to the body of the blade and adaptedpermanently to cover its opposite faces while clamped in a holder, and aperforated edge portion adapted to be torn off after the blade isclamped to expose ,o its cutting edge.

port-ion set ofl' by a line of perforations within the contour of theblade which may be stripped off for the purpose of exposing the cuttingedge independently of the remainder of the envelope.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this 14th day of November, 1930.

RALPH E. THOMPSON.

